During these times, the headlines are often filled with horror stories about pollution, environmental degradation and the outbreak of more serious diseases. That is why recycling is more important than ever.

While most of us shrug our shoulders in utter helplessness, the truth is that we can actually do something to reverse the tide of environmental degradation, and we can start by doing some simple initiatives right in our own backyards. Recycling is one thing we could easily do. Here are some basic facts about recycling, and why we need to reduce, reuse and recycle.